Dominion

Mara thought that eleven months after moving somewhere new would be more than enough time to get used to the weather. It isn't. At least, not for her.

The town of MacAllen was small enough to be easily overlooked on a map. Mara had found out about it through a blog while searching for affordable places to live. The blog pointed out that it was a small town where everyone knew everyone—and, more importantly, that it didn't snow. Something deep in her gut had told her to take her daughter, June, and move there. And she wasn't disappointed that she'd listened.

For the most part. She still hadn't gotten used to the humidity. Normally, around this time of year where they used to live, snow would already be falling. Not to mention how frequently it rained—a detail the blog had conveniently forgotten to mention.

June, however, had adapted quickly.

She'd always hated snow, so when Mara told her that it didn't snow in MacAllen, she'd been ecstatic.

Right now, rain was pouring outside, furious drops thumping against the house. The sound was soothing to Mara. Normally, she would be running a bath and settling down with a book in weather like this.

But instead, she stood in front of the full-length mirror leaning against the wall in her bedroom, trying to decide whether she should tuck in her shirt.

Tucked.

Untucked.

Tucked.

On a regular day, she would have tucked it in without a second thought. But tonight, she wanted to do something different. What that something was, she didn't really know. She had a date tonight. It's her first date in a long time, so, naturally, she wanted to make a good first impression.

Okay, so maybe a baby-blue shirt and jeans weren't exactly the most impressive outfit, especially considering the shirt was long-sleeved, but her date had told her to dress casual.

In all honesty, Mara was glad she didn't have to wear one of the dresses hanging in her closet. They were always a little too tight, but she used to wear them because her ex liked them. They were also constant reminders that she'd put on a few pounds since having June.

Mara watched herself in the mirror as she untucked her shirt for what felt like the hundredth time. Almost immediately, wrinkles began forming along the bottom. She frowned and tried smoothing them out, but it was no use.

With a quiet sigh, she tucked the shirt back in. Tucked it is. She rubbed her hands over the shirt one more time before making her way to the bathroom down the hall.

She opened the mirrored cabinet above the sink and grabbed the brush and hair gel she kept inside. She stored them there — away from the toothpaste and toothbrushes — because it was the only place in the house June couldn't reach. June climbed on everything, and even though she had her own toy set of hair accessories, she still liked trying to use Mara's from time to time. One time, June had found Mara's hair gel and managed to get it everywhere. Then she'd used Mara's brush on her dolls because she was "playing hair salon." All of the doll's hair was tangled inside that brush. Mara had ended up buying new hair products and keeping them in the bathroom ever since.

She slicked her hair back until she could gather it into a bun at the back of her head. It proved to be a workout. She had a lot of hair.

June's bedroom was directly across from the bathroom, which meant Mara could clearly hear her singing along to Barney on the television. She could also hear her jumping on the bed. Mara figured she should probably tell her daughter that it wasn't safe to do that, but trying to explain to a two-year-old that something isn't safe was like talking to a wall.

When Mara finished her hair she decided against putting on makeup. In fact, she'd discovered that she quite enjoyed not wearing any since moving. Makeup took so much time to apply, even though she'd become something of an expert at it. She could do a full face without even looking in a mirror. She stared at herself for a moment. Her face was clean, the only imperfection being the cut in her right eyebrow. She didn't make the cut herself, it had been there for as long as she could remember. A long gash just down the middle. It kind of reminded her of the lightening bolt on Harry Potter's forehead. Normally, she would fill it in with an eyebrow pencil, but she kind of liked it the way it was. She smiled at her reflection. She looked ready for this date.

She wasn't.

Her dates name was Caleb. He worked at the local mechanic's shop, a business his father owned, and he was pretty darn good at his job. He's also pretty well-liked around town. He was also the first person Mara and June had met when they moved there. They'd been lost, and he'd helped them find their way. He'd even offered to give them a tour of the town. Afterward, he offered to help them unpack. Mara declined, of course. They hadn't brought much with them anyway, so getting settled had been easy.

It hadn't taken long for Caleb to ask her out. MacAllen was small, so she ran into him often. Most of their interactions consisted of a simple hello or goodbye. The most they'd ever really talked was when Mara decided to take her Jeep Cherokee to the mechanic's shop to trade it in. The Jeep was in beautiful condition, so Caleb was curious as to why she wanted to get rid of it, but he didn't push her for an answer. It wasn't his business. He did, however, try to ask her other question like:

"Are you and her dad still together?"

And

"Do you see yourself dating again?"

To both of those questions, Mara had given an astounding no. But that didn't stop him from flirting with her. A few months ago, he'd finally asked her out. She declined. He persisted.

There was absolutely nothing wrong with Caleb. He was kind, confident, and charming. He was one of those people you couldn't help but like. But Mara knew better than anyone that that was how men always acted in the beginning — she was all too familiar with the facade, and she refused to add another man to June's life. She hadn't moved them to a small town just to jump into another man's arms.

So how did Caleb get Mara to say yes? That was a good question. It happened rather suddenly.

Mara had been at the local grocery store when she noticed a female employee practically throwing herself at Caleb. Now, Mara wasn't the jealous type by any means. But one thing she hated was a woman showing off her body. She thought the girl could at least have shown some decency in a grocery store. The woman was practically undressing Caleb with her eyes.

Caleb must have mistaken Mara's disdain for jealousy because he started teasing her.

"She was throwing herself at you," Mara had said. "And you're laughing about it?"

"Yup," he replied. "The women here don't really shy away from what they want."

"So why not take her out then? It's clear she wants you."

"Because I don't want her." He paused. "I want you."

Mara would be lying if she said her heart hadn't fluttered when he said that. Any woman's heart would have fluttered. But that wasn't what got her to say yes. It was the fact that months had passed, and Caleb was still asking. He hadn't given up. He hadn't pressured her. He simply kept showing up, kept flirting, kept making it clear that he was interested.

Eventually, Mara started wondering if maybe she had been wrong about him. Maybe he really was different.

Or maybe she just wanted to believe he was.

So, she figured she'd give him what he wanted. But she doesn't intend to impress him on this date. She doesn't even intend for there to be a second one. She was simply doing this to show him that she wasn't actually what he wanted. He just thinks he does.

He had told her to dress comfortably, and insisted that June come along.

"Non-negotiable," he'd said.

So here Mara was, standing in the bathroom and mentally preparing herself for a date she had no intention of taking seriously.

She was still standing in front of the mirror when she heard the faint but familiar sound of a truck engine pulling into the driveway. As the engine grew louder, Mara heard June's little feet pitter-pattering down the hall and then down the stairs.

"What's that noise?" She asked excitedly, "Mama, come on!"

Mara shut off the bathroom light and hurried after her daughter. By the time she reached the stairs, June was already downstairs, peeking through the blackout curtains. The window was directly behind the couch, so June is standing on her tiptoes, trying to see outside.

"June, get off the couch."

Mara scolded her for running through the house and standing on the furniture, but June barely seemed to hear her. All she cared about was finding out who was in the driveway.

She didn't get the chance.

Mara gently lifted her off the couch and set her on the floor. Then she peeked through the curtains herself. Caleb was stepping out of his blue Ford Ranger, holding an umbrella and a bouquet of flowers in one hand. It was then that Mara realized she hadn't paid attention to the time at all since she'd started getting ready. She pulled her phone from her pocket and tapped the screen. They had agreed that he would arrive at seven.

He was ten minutes early.

Mara watched Caleb walk away from his truck, already knowing he was heading toward the front door. Suddenly, she was too nervous to move. The doorbell rang. Mara flinched.

She forced her feet toward the front door and, even though she already knew who was standing on the other side, she peeked through the peephole anyway. You can never be too cautious.

She swung the door open.

The first thing she noticed was Caleb's cologne. It was strong, with hints of pine, amber, and vanilla. The scent paired surprisingly well with the rainy weather.

As promised, Caleb was dressed casually too. He wore a blue cotton T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and the same thick work boots he wore every day at the shop. This wasn't the first time Mara had seen Caleb outside of his coveralls.

But tonight, there was...Something about him.

"You're early," she said.

"Well, hello to you too, darlin'." He grinned. Mara's heart skipped. Caleb held the umbrella over his head, even though he didn't need it while standing on the porch. He hands Mara the bouquet in his hand. Irises. Mara thanks him and smells the flowers, letting the fragrant scent tickle her nose. Mara loves flowers, but she's never seen Irises up close before.

"Go get your shoes," Mara says to her daughter before turning back to Caleb.

"We agreed on seven," she said to Caleb.

"You know, I know a lot of people who would appreciate an early arrival."

"Well, why don't you take them out on a date instead?"

"Can't." Caleb's grin widened. "I already made plans with you."

Mara rolled her eyes and opened the door a little wider and Caleb stepped inside, closing his umbrella.

He was officially the first person Mara had ever allowed into her home since they moved to MacAllen. She'd always been cautious about that sort of thing. You never knew people's motives. And Mara especially didn't like being around people when June was involved. When they first arrived, she'd actually considered homeschooling June. But she'd decided not to because her daughter deserved a normal life — at least, as normal a life as Mara could give her.

"Cay-lup!" June shouts as she runs up to him, shoes on the wrong feet.

"Hey there, Junie," he says, scooping her into his arms. June is all smiles as she hugs him. Even though Mara doesn't like June running up to strangers, she can't help but find the moment cute. Her daughter's smile means everything to her.

Mara goes into the closet to grab June's raincoat and another umbrella. Then, while Caleb still has June in her arms, switches her shoes.

"Thank you, mommy," she says to Mara when she's done. Mara smiles.

"Are we ready to go now?"

"After you," Caleb says, setting June back on the floor. Mara seizes the moment to put on Junes raincoat, and then immediately reaches for her hand, and Caleb opens his umbrella as the three of them step outside. Mara pauses, releasing June's hand to lock the front door. She pulls on the knob once. Then again. Her fingers tighten around it as she gives it one final tug, harder this time. Locked. She knows it is, but she checks anyway. She always checks anyway.